Automobile rack



F. OSLUND AUTOMOBILE RACK Sept. 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16,1955 I Hi! r INVENTOR. Frederick Oslun d BY QMM/ FITTOBNEY5' 'Sept. 3,1957 F. OSLUND 2,805,014

AUTOMOBILE RACK Filed May 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FrederickOslund HTTOBNEYS AUTOMOBILE RACK Frederick Oslund, Seattle, Wash.Application May 16, 1955, Serial No. 508,401

3 Claims. c1. 224 42.1

This invention relates to luggage racks as designed for use on the topsof passenger automobiles, and it has reference more particularly to animproved form of rack that is adapted for the carrying of luggage, orarticles of various kinds, and in various ways, and which, when. notapplied to an automobile, can be converted to a number of different anduseful purposes.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a luggageholding rack, having a flat bottom or platform, and equipped for ready,easy and secure mounting on an automobile top, and having opposite sideand opposite end frames, each independently removable from the rack topermit loading from either side or from either end or as required tobest accommodate the objects being transported.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rack havingnovel details in construction of its side and end frames whereby theycan be interfitted and interlocked at their ends to insure rigidity ofassembly, and yet provide for their easy and quick disassembly when suchis desired.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide novel mounting meansfor the rack that are adjustable to best accommodate them to theparticular car top to which the rack is to be applied.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention reside inthe details of construction of the various parts of the rack, thatprovides for their easy and ready assembly and use in the various waysand for the variety of purposes hereinafter disclosed.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a rack of the present invention asapplied to and secured upon the top of a present day passengerautomobile.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view and partial longitudinal section of thepresent rack, with a part between the end portions broken away toshorten the length of the view.

Fig. 3 is an underside view of a corner portion of the rack bottom orplatform.

Fig. 4 is a section of the same taken in the plane of line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner portion of the rackand illustrating the provision for and the manner of interfitting andinterlocking end portions of an end and a side frame.

Fig. 6 is an elevation detail, showing the means for securing a sideframe to the rack bottom.

Fig. 7 is a section, taken on line 7-7 in Fig. 6.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The intended manner of use of the present rack on an automobile top isas shown in Fig. 1.

In its present preferred form of construction, the rack comprises aflat, rectangular, bottom forming panel 10, preferably of plywood, cutto certain predetermined dimensions. Fixed to the panel edges, about itsunder surface, are slats 11; these being of wood and about one inch inwidth and A" in thickness, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 7. Also fixed tothe panel 10, along its opposite side and across the end edges thereof,are angle iron bars 12, preferably of aluminum, and each having ahorizontal flange 12h underlying, as shown in Fig. 3, a part of thecorresponding edge slat 11, and secured by screws 13, and having avertical flange 12v which extends to the level of the top surface of thepanel. At their ends, the bars 12 are beveled, as at 15 in Fig. 3, andthe beveled edges Welded together.

Extended transversely of the bottom panel 10, at its underside and closeto its opposite ends, are rigid crossbars l616 of channel form; thesebeing secured at their ends to the undersides of edge slats 11 by screws17, as

has been shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

Fitted about opposite end portions of these cross-bars 16-46, near theiropposite ends for adjustment therealong, are sleeves or collars 20, andfixed to each of these collars is a downwardly facing, flexible rubbersuction cup 21; these cups being adapted to be pressed against the cartop as shown in Figs. 1 and 10, to support the rack in proper positionon the vehicle top.

For the fixed securement of the rack when placed on:

the car top, the bottom panel is provided at opposite sides and neareach of its ends with plate 25, secured by screws 26 passed upwardlytherethrough and threaded into the panel, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.Each plate has a downwardly and laterally directed end portion 25a,

formed With a transverse slot 27. Straps 28 are applied across the topof the car, beneath opposite end portions of the panel 16, with oppositeend portions passed outwardly through slots 27 of transversely alignedplates, and then anchored at their ends to the gutter strips 30 thatextend along and are fixed to opposite sides of the car top just abovethe windows; this method of tieing the rack to the car top being inaccordance with the usual present day method of fixing luggage carriersin place.

It is to be understood that the collars 20 are slidably adjustable alongthe angle bars 16-16 in order that the suction cups can be adjusted topositions that are best suited to the width and slope of the car top. Itis also to be understood that while I have shown single suction cups 21at each of the four corners of the rack, it may be found desirable toaflix short cross-bars to the collars 2t) and to apply twin suction cupsto opposite ends of the cross-bars, in a manner similar to theillustration in Fig. 13.

It is also to beobserved, by reference more particularly to Figs. 3 and4, that flanged pipe sockets are fixed to the horizontal flanges of theangle bars 12, at the corners and underside of the panel 10, to receivethreaded ends of pipe legs 36 to adapt the panel for use as a table top,as shown in Fig. 9.

The opposite end frames of the rack are designated in Figs. 1 and 8 intheir entireties by reference numerals 4040, and the opposite sideframes are designated in their entireties by numerals 41-41. Each endframe comprises three, vertically spaced, horizontal slats 42 joined attheir ends by vertical angle bars 43-43, applied thereto as best shownin Fig. 5. Preferably the rack parts are fabricated of aluminum membersand are riveted together for example as at 44.

The side frames 40-40 are each composed of three horizontal slats 46joined across their opposite ends by vertical bars 47, these being insetsomewhat from the ends of the slats and also project at their ends belowthe lower slats for close fitted reception between the edges of theflanges 12v of the angle bars 12 and panel 10. At their upper edges eachend frame is equipped at each of its ends with an angular clip 50, thisbeing fixed to the outer face and upper end portion of the correspondingvertical bar 47. This clip 50 has an end portion 50x adapted to hookaround the end post 43 of the end frame member as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 5 and to receive the adjacent edge flange of the post 43between the clip and end portion of the top slat 46.

The lower end portions of the angle bars 43 extend below the lower slats42 of the end frames and are adapted to be received between the cornerportion of the panel 10 and the vertical flanges of the joined anglebars 12-12, these flanges being slightly outset from the panel for thispurpose as has been shown particularly in Fig. 2.

The horizontal slats 46 of the opposite side frames of the rack arejoined intermediate their ends by vertical bars 55, the lower ends ofwhich are adapted to be received within the slots provided between theedges of the panel and vertical flanges of the angle bars 12, as hasbeen illustrated'in Figs. 6 and 7, and each is there secured by awing'headed bolt 56 that is passed inwardly through registering holes 57and 58, in the bar flange and lower end of the bar 55, and threaded intoa metal clip 59 of angle form that is fixed to the panel edge as shownin Figs. 6 and 7. With the side frames thus secured, they cannot belifted from the rack bottom and will be held rigidly upright alongopposite sides of the panel 10.

The inturned ends 50x of clips 50 engage at their lower edges againstlugs 60 on the vertical end bars 43 of the end frames and thus hold theend frames against lifting from connection with the side frames.

Assuming the rack to be assembled and mounted on a car top as in Fig. 1,it can be used for the transportation of baggage, boxes, suit cases etc.For easy loading, of such objects, one or both side frames might beremoved, this being possible upon removal of the single anchoring bolts56 that holds the rack in place.

For the hauling of lumber, it is desirable that both end frames beremoved. Then the platform 10 serves to support the lumber directlythereon, and it can be efiectively secured in place by roping betweenthe side frames, as has been shown.

By releasing the two tie straps from the car top, the rack is releasedfor removal from the vehicle and it can then be used as a childs playpen.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rack of the character described having a floor forming panel andopposite side and opposite end frames; angle bars fixed to the floorpanel along its opposite side and opposite end edges; each angle barhaving a horizontal flange that underlies and is fixed to the panel anda vertical flange that is spaced outwardly from the panel edge; each ofsaid opposite end frames being equipped with vertical end bars of angleiron form, with extended lower end portions removably fitted to thepanel corners within the vertical flanges of the panel bounding anglebars, and opposite frames each includes as a part thereof means at theirends for effecting holding connection with the ends of said end frames,and each having a central vertical strip with extended lower end portionfitted between the corresponding panel edge and the vertical flange ofthe corresponding angle bar, and an anchor bolt removably appliedthrough the bar flange and lower end portion of said strip and anchoredat its inner end in the panel.

2. A rack as in claim 1 wherein the opposite end frames are equipped attheir opposite ends with projecting lugs, and the said opposite sideframes are equipped with angularly bent straps adapted to hook aroundthe ends of said lug equipped frames to holdingly engage against saidlugs to prevent removal of those frames from the bottom panel.

3. A rack for use on an automobile top; said rack comprising a floorforming panel, slats fixed to the underside of said floor forming panelalong its opposite side edges, cross-bars fixed to said fioor formingpanel, at its underside and adjacent forward and rearward ends thereofwith their opposite end portions overlapped with said slats thus tospace the bars from the panel, suction cup mountings applied to saidbars and movable to various positions therealong and suction cups fixedto said mountings of sleeve form for functionally engaging the top of anautomobile to which the rack may be applied.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,045,412 Kling Nov. 26, 1912 2,589,772 Carter et al Mar. 18, 19522,596,860 McCrory et al. May 13, 1952 2,654,516 Edwards Oct. 6, 19532,683,265 Wayne July 13, 1954 2,721,681 Daniel Oct. 25, 1955 V FOREIGNPATENTS 545,024 Great Britain May. 7, 1942

